IPL remains in doubt

While the player auction for the Indian Premier League has been another roaring success for the players at least, there are still concerns about the tournament itself.

Teams spent a total of $82.2 million to buy 127 players, including seven New Zealand players.

Indian test batsman Gautam Gambhir became the most expensive player in the history, fetching $3.1 million.

But big names, including former India captain Sourav Ganguly and West Indies batting great Brian Lara, went unsold.

This will be the Twenty20 tournament's fourth season and its organisers are trying to improve its image, which has been tainted by corruption allegations.

IPL founder Lalit Modi was last year thrown out by the Board of Control for Cricket in India over claims of wrongdoing, which he denies.

The BCCI also expelled two teams, the Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab, for not declaring changes to their ownership structures, but they successfully challenged the ruling in court and were reinstated, however legal arguments continue.

Two new teams - Kochi and Pune Warriors - have joined the league, which will start just six days after the end of the World Cup on April 8th.